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So of course, by writing about being ill meant we had a horrible night again last night.

Around 4.30am H was coughing non-stop. We’d covered her feet in Kiddybalm with socks over the top to stop that exact problem, and before I’d checked the time I called to her to come into our bed. Then checked the time as she delicately plonked herself between us then tried to fall asleep in a star shape.

I knew I wouldn’t sleep if my baby was coughing all night. Which kind of contradicts what I said yesterday about not being too worried about her being ill. Like I said before, Shaun and H have the amazing ability to sleep. I don’t. If I hear noise I don’t sleep I worry instead.

So H stayed in our bed from 4.30 until 6.30 when the alarm went off. Coughing and snoring.

The joyous moment when Shaun realised she could have some Covonia Dry Cough mixture (non-drowsy) as it was suitable for anyone over 1 year was the moment she stopped coughing long enough to fall asleep, balanced on my shoulder while I tried to find a position I could try and sleep too, while having a third pillow wedged into my face so she could be kept fairly upright.

It wasn’t the best night’s sleep ever.

Tonight we have more menthol on the feet with socks, more on her tummy and a warm bedroom with the door open so she can get the warmth from the rest of the house (oh yeah, no central heating in our bedrooms, baby).

The addition of no seats on the train into work this morning did not lighten my mood.

I’m having an email conversation with a coworker. Well, I say conversation, I email about my experience of childcare and get a response the following morning. It’s kind of nice as I look forward to my one or two sentence emails when I get in to work.

We’ve been talking about illness lately. He’s mentioned how he doesn’t want his daughter to get ill and how it would break his heart to see her get sick. I disagreed, and couldn’t think of a time when it broke my heart. It might sound harsh, but I felt relieved – she was building immunity to the various things around which is a good thing. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t catch colds, but the big ones – chicken pox, slapped cheek, roseola have all been and gone.

Actually, truth be told I wouldn’t wish any of those on anyone, but having to work from home with a child who just wants cuddles is rather nice too. Even better when the child wants to sleep on the settee and does just that while you get on with work.

On Monday morning around 3am H woke with a sore ear, calling for me. I stayed with her in her bed (we eventually swapped with Shaun so he could get some sleep) and I took her to the doctors on Monday. An ear infection, poor thing. She’s on antibiotics now. Add a verruca (I’ve never had one of those so had no idea they take months to go, I thought it’d be a week or something), headlice at school (so far, all clear for H), and a stinker of a cold too and my poor baby is tired, wants cuddles, gets cross, gets angry, cries, cuddles, and is all over the place really – understandably. Tonight she was screaming, hitting and kicking me with all the emotions happening at once.

Her earache lasted until morning and is better now. She was back at school on Tuesday after Shaun decided she was okay, and he was right. We skipped swimming lessons today as she has a cough (and she’s currently tucked up in bed with menthol on her feet and tummy, vaseline around her chapped mouth, freshly applied Bazuka for her foot and another dose of antibiotics) and I’m hoping she’s already asleep.

All I want to do is go upstairs and cuddle her to sleep, I feel like that’s my mum job in all this. In fact she probably is asleep. She’s one of those incredible children who coughs in her sleep. I swear, I envy my child having that ability. I don’t wish any illness on her, I just wish her a restful nights sleep and that she’ll be better by the morning.

I’d quite like a good night’s sleep too if there’s any other wishes to be had out there. I don’t do that so well these days.

Rubbish stuff often happens so it’s about time I started The Good Stuff. In no particular order :

1. H’s current swimming teacher is the same lady who taught her when she was a baby. This makes me extremely happy as she’s a fabulous teacher and H wouldn’t be where she is today without her first teacher giving her that initial confidence. I only realised it was the same person today.

2. Because of 1, H swam on her back in the pool without floats today. It’s the first time I’ve seen her do it without any flotation help – and she did amazingly well. I wanted to buy something to reward her and realised that wasn’t such a good idea (relating good things to presents), so bought her some new goggles for swimming instead as her old pair keep breaking.

3. Her reading is coming on amazingly. She’s moved up a book band at school now to more ‘story’ based books. We’re working on expression, have been for a while and she’s really getting how to say a word when an exclamation mark is present. She loves to read and because of that wants to read. She’ll read signs, everything. Whereas before she’d work things out, now she can do it in her head and is getting more and more confident each time.

4. Her favourite grown up programme is The Great British Bake Off. This amuses me no end – we’ll chat about what they’re making and she’s turned into Shaun doing a running commentary of what’s going on, while recreating it in playdoh. The Sport Relief Celebrity Bake Off is on at the moment but past her bedtime so I’m recording them so we can watch the lot over the weekend. She’s pretty excited.

5. At school they have ‘wow’ moments when you send in things they’ve done which are impressive and your child wants to tell the rest of the class. H has made a lego building on her own without any help or guidance (to be fair, she’s done it a few times now). That and she read a joke in her Christmas Cracker.

6. Music. Things are progressing. Current favourites are Robbie Williams ‘Candy’, Daft Punk ‘Get Lucky’ and alas, the new James Blunt single. This is all down to her own choosing while listening to the radio. Whenever she hears a song she likes she demands it on her iPad. I told her the James Blunt single was one “mummy and daddy didn’t know” so I think we’re off the hook for now.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved musicals. My favourite of all time (and indeed my favourite film) is The Sound of Music. I LOVE it. If there’s a production of it on stage I’ll do my best to go (Connie Fisher was amazing, for the record) and if it’s on tv we have to watch it (despite me owning it several times on DVD). Mary Poppins comes a close second though I’d struggle calling it a musical – it’s a play with songs, right? Add to that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and you’ve pretty much got my childhood in three films as well as three soundtracks I possess.

Oh, and all three films were on over Christmas on tv.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was interesting. There’s the obvious scary bit – the Childcatcher, which I explained to H as well as I could “err. he’s pretending” and she seemed fine with that as an explanation. She loved the songs and loved that ‘Bert’ was in it, and thought it was brilliant all the children were free by the end, so ultimately enjoyed it. She still asks about the Childcatcher on a daily basis, just to make sure it is just someone acting and isn’t real.

Mary Poppins needs no explanation, in fact the only thing she found scary (last Christmas – 2012) was when they laughed too much and rose to the ceiling – so seeing it was on was a nice easy one as we’ve watched our DVD several times since.

The Sound of Music, however, was an interesting one. “why are the men being angry?” she asked in an almost Gretl-like way, so somehow Shaun and I had to explain about Hitler, and how he was a Very Bad Man who was taking over Austria and how the Von Trapps needed to escape. She asked about this almost as much as the Childcatcher, wanting to make sure The Bad Man had gone away. “Yes, he’s dead” we confirmed, and she seemed satisfied with that. This is progress on last year, as the Von Trapps left Salzburg she wondered “is the daddy still angry they sung loudly when he was trying to sleep?”. How on earth do you explain about Hitler to a four year old? Especially when she can’t get her head around the fact nobody plays him in the film yet he features in such a way. “but why did nobody play the bad man mummy?” “Because it’s not about him! It’s about the Captain and Mary Poppins, okay?”

Today H asked for all three soundtracks to be added to her iPod. I duly obliged.

This afternoon we popped to Ikea. H could be found around the kitchen area singing “I’d like to stay, and taste my first champagne! So long, farewell, of weeeweeeeeweea la laaaaaa, doo diddle doo doo do doo dooo” at a fairly raised level. I looked on in pride. My work is done.

*rubs hands together, knows the next step is the Wizard of Oz which we watched some of over Christmas… hehehe*

H has been to holiday club. She was with four other children she knew from her nursery plus another girl she knows from swimming lessons so settled right in straight away. This is a huge relief for me as you never know what they’ll think of it, and she’s going to be spending a lot of time in there when it’s school holidays. Fortunately, if you book up-front it’s less than £20 a day.

Someone at work today mentioned that NEXT YEAR is when Back to the Future 2 happens. I am now anxiously awaiting the hoverboard deliveries at Argos, as they’ll make racing for the train every morning so much easier. I think Google and Nintendo have almost everything else covered.

I have bought H a new cycling helmet. Her old one really didn’t fit her at all and we’ve been winging it a bit, but I’d had enough. We may have been driving her bicycle around in the boot for the last four months without it being used, but now we can use it. She has an Adult Medium one. Scary. Big. Fits. Have you measured your child’s head lately? I was surprised.

The cold at lunchtime made me almost collapse. Time to wear a hat for work I think – I feel the cold in my head and it starts an ocular migraine – and I know the feeling well. That’s what I had when I almost fainted at half time at my first York City game back in the 80’s. (I was taken to the players lounge and plonked in front of a fire to warm up and wait for my mum and dad to collect me)

I only realised last night that Sherlock is a tv programme. I thought it was a film. I am clueless. I’d like to say I don’t watch a lot of tv, but I do. Just not Sherlock, hence I didn’t realise.

H and I are addicted to The Great British Bake Off. This was mainly as she thinks the chap who was the ‘last man standing’ looks like Shaun, so he became ‘daddy’. She was sad when he didn’t make it today. She thinks she’s all grown up watching programmes like that and I find it refreshing. She also now knows who Mel & Sue are. Result!

H is making an effort this year and has already eaten tomato and green pepper, and it was her decision to do so.

Price increases. H’s childminder costs have gone up by 5%. Travelcards have gone up in price. Rent has not yet gone up but is a dead cert around July time when it is likely to be over £1000 a month. It is around now I like to remind myself how much I hate living in London as it’s so expensive.

York City and Tottenham both have a 100% unbeaten record in 2014. It has also been the coldest day of the year today. It was the warmest yesterday. I have a 100% attendance record at work too.

When you’re four you have all kinds of idols. They’re usually cartoon-like and have magical powers, or possibly pig-shaped with a strong desire to jump in muddy puddles. However, if you read here at all, or even check in at Mum Friendly you’ll know that of late there are two characters who’ve made quite an impression on my little H; Topsy and Tim.

We were invited to visit the film set last week where H got to meet Topsy & Tim and was suitably starstruck. We got to wander around the set, sit at their kitchen table (in the new house) and H got to cuddle Little Moon Bunny and Eddy Teddy. She was in a surreal world – that of a film set, not a real house, but it looks real.

H sat in Topsy’s bedroom while the crew stood outside and I scrambled to take a photo. They were filming a scene which had mum, Topsy, Tim and Kerry in and we got to meet them all. Mum (Anna Acton) is lovely – we got to chat (and I forgot to take a photo of her and H), she’s a mum too, and you can tell – I really like how she talks to the kids in the show – when H isn’t playing up I swear I hear myself talking like that!

Walking around the film set it was kind of weird (in a good way); all the places the cameras live and what goes on behind the walls of the house, the attention to detail within the house, pictures on the wall cleverly photoshopped to add to that detail, but it was their house. It’s sad to think it’ll all be coming down soon when they finish filming all 60 episodes.

When we met the actors behind Topsy & Tim H was starstruck. She’s often quite shy, but this time she barely said a word – there with her idols in the same room. So I talked instead.. and talked and talked. Both kids were lovely with H – they’re both 8, so a little older than their screen age (4!) – ‘Topsy’ gave H a big hug and we got a photo, and ‘Tim’ gave her a high-five – with ‘Kerry’ joining in too. We went upstairs with them when they went on a break which resulted in them hiding in cupboards – the kind of things kids do – it was all so normal, but yet H didn’t come out of her shell. I guess I know where she’s coming from – there have been plenty of bands at work who’ve visited that I’ve been too shy to try talking to, so I can relate to how she felt.

A big mention must go to Billy Macqueen who approached me with the offer of a visit. What a brilliant thing to do, and he was great – showing us around the studio as well as allowing us to sit and watch a scene being filmed. They did the first take (which was around four minutes of acting, they’re all really good!) then some different angles (and continuity issues which meant it took a bit longer) before some final close-ups, before it was time to head back to the Darrall Macqueen offices and make our way back home again. We also met Maddy Darrall (the co-owner with Billy) whose baby was the inspiration for Baby Jake – the story behind that is interesting!

As for us, the visit was possibly one of the best things H has experienced in her life. She’s still talking about it and tells me how important and precious the time there was to her. She truly loves Topsy and Tim – she’s been brought up with the books and the tv series is very faithful to their spirit. As I’ve said before, it’s a soap opera for a four-year old – one time you’re guaranteed they’ll switch off from everything else around them and enter the Odell family’s life – often because it mirrors parts of their own.

Topsy and Tim’s first 15 episodes of Series 1 have been shown on Cbeebies now, and we’re on repeats until the new year when more new episodes will be shown – they can now be followed on Facebook and Twitter as well, to keep up to date with news – they’re really good at updates as well! The episode we saw being filmed is due to air around August 2014 – everything is being filmed now in one massive block and is set to finish in a week or so for good.

I found it interesting how well their routines work around acting – there’s only a small window to get scenes done so they have to do a lot, which is why it all takes so long. Scenes without the children are filmed later on when they’re being schooled or are having breaks, but Darrall Macqueen have been brilliant making sure they meet the tough regulations.

It has been nearly a week since our visit and H is still talking about it. She took pictures into school where some of her classmates asked her questions about it, and she wrote a little piece about it (I saw Topsy and Tim, they did some acting) and showed her photos. She’s an extremely lucky girl – Shaun says it’s a bit like if we’d have had a chance to meet the Famous Five back in the seventies, it’s THAT big in H’s world. I know exactly what she means. Thank you again Billy for giving us the chance to visit, it means a huge amount to H and I – I suspect it’s something she’ll never forget!

Ho Bloody Ho, that’s what I say. There was a rather unpleasant surprise in my soup tonight.

We’ve been using ready-made Soup lately. After swimming we need to eat quickly once we return home, meaning a meal takes five minutes to prepare rather than half an hour.

My soup had a lump of chicken in it. Pretty yucky for someone who hasn’t eaten meat for over 30 years, but another rolleye moment in one of those days. I took it out of my mouth and knew it wasn’t meant to be in there.

It was passed to Shaun to check. He confirmed chicken. I felt hungry. I feel even hungrier. I feel a horrid meaty taste in my mouth despite this.

So I did the passive-aggressive thing and took a photo, putting it on Instagram.

It’s been a bit of a rubbish vegetarian kind of day. Sainsburys had no meat-free sandwiches out this morning so I switched to M&S. They had a range out letting you know they’re donating to Shelter, so I spent a lot more than I usually would so they’d benefit. I read the packaging once I got to work. Shelter will get 10p from my £5.50 Sandwich and drink. That feels so wrong. On Payday I’m going to make a donation to Shelter which will equal a lot more than two M&S ‘feelgood’ food items.

So yes, I’m grumpy right now. It’s good they’re trying to make a difference but really, they could do better, surely? On the other hand, in doing such a low amount per item it’s made me put my hand in my pocket. Everyone wins don’t they? Hopefully Shelter will too.

We’ve gone back to Cbeebies recently. Topsy & Tim is on every afternoon at 5.30, and as H has been brought up on the books (we have rather a lot of them) we obviously have to watch the programme. But it’s weird, it has brought about an all-new H.

On Monday as the titles started, I said excitedly “ooh look! There’s the map from the books!!” to which she replied “SHUSH Mummy! I’m listening!” and proceeded to watch the tv without acknowledging I was there. That’s never happened before.

Tuesday and Shaun watched an episode later on, as we knew H loved the show and it was her new favourite. “Daddy!!! You’re not allowed to watch it without me!!” she said. I’ve asked her recently what kinds of programmes she thinks we watch when she goes to bed. “Oh, boring grown up programmes, like The News, Tottenham Hotspur games and stuff”

She’s not that wrong….

Yesterday we watched it a bit later as it clashes with swimming lessons, thank goodness for the V+ box – Shaun joined her while I made tea. “Daddy! SHUSH!” she said a few times, and also apparently she wasn’t ‘comfortable’ to watch it.

Today however, we’re okay. I cuddled up to her and we watched it together. I had the position just right so I could see her face and what she thought – and it struck me. Okay, we don’t own our own house but it’s still our home and we make the best of it. But listening to the parents in the show talk, the show is from the perspective of the two four year olds, and that’s what she loves – she’s completely relating to it in relation to her own life. They do normal things like shopping and having friends over to play and it’s real life in a short ten minute episode.

That, and when I hear the parents talk I hear Shaun and I.

That’s why she’s so engrossed in it – it’s a bit like her life on tv. Nothing fancy, nothing flash, like a soap opera for four year olds where only nice things happen. Topsy and Tim are HER friends too, she’s making the distinction between book and cartoon characters, as well as real life people playing fictional characters. It’s quite an interesting change too – programmes like Lazytown might have people in it, but it’s not real life stories – same with films like Mary Poppins – there’s the ‘magic’ element.

I can live with that.

It reminds me of the time I was sat in the pub with my friend, ‘Once In A Lifetime’ by the Talking Heads came on the jukebox, and she insisted on us not talking for the duration while she held her head up in the air and listened to it. I found it a bit odd at the time (you’re in a pub, you can get the track anywhere, it’s not like it’s long-deleted), but she wanted those few minutes to savour the song. That’s what H is doing now – savouring that wholesome tv moment.

I’m joining in with The Gallery this week. Here’s a photo of me from around 1987. Actually, it is exactly 1987 and I know this because I found my Deutschland 87 notebook recently which has handy reminders of the things we did every day. We did a house swap in a gorgeous village just outside Freiburg in the Black Forest – a pretty long drive, I seem to remember. My dad did the lot. You know how you look at a map and you know you can find where you stayed even though you have no idea whatsoever? All I remember is a gorgeous house, a garden with a stream and slugs in the beautiful garden so I couldn’t run outside barefoot. You can’t find it in Google Maps, it’s gone forever from my mind.

They had a table tennis room downstairs and big chunky wooden beds that we slept in. We got to drive all over that area, catching up with old friends and driving around the Bodensee, covering as many countries as we could until we worked our way back up Germany, stopping in Münster on the way home. I did all the talking, being the only German speaker in the family.

Anyway, I quite like this picture. It’s of my sister and I, my dad must have taken it, I put it on Facebook a couple of years ago with the ‘if I was an 80’s band, I would be….’ caption. I only got The Marine Girls, but I can live with that. Looking at my fashion sense I’ve got my light denim jeans on with the shirt any seventeen year old would be wearing around then – bought from a random shop in York which sold clothes for people who liked ‘different’ music, which I knew I did.

What would I tell the younger me these days? I’d say just get on with things, don’t worry. You won’t end up with many qualifications but you’ll end up fine. Buy a house. Wear earplugs, as you’ll lose your hearing around 2003ish and you’ll wish you’d bothered sooner.

You’ll start a fanzine too – on your own. The first one was a one-off, but you’ll do three of your own and get on the tv and radio finding ways to promote it. You’ll talk to John Peel. You’ll put on gigs in York and do more talking to John Peel. You’ll sell him one of those fanzines too. Eventually a few years later you’ll interview bands for the work radio station. I won’t tell you who, as you don’t know them yet. It all fizzles out though due to a lack of support.

Oh yeah, and you will end up working at General Accident. Everyone in York did back then. It’s okay, you only do about three and a half years before the job at APT comes up and you work in music for the rest of your life. You will work for Beggars. I know that sounds utterly ridiculous as you’ll have bought several on the label in 1987 but you will. You’ll end up proofreading the albums you’ve bought this year. Mad. See also : 4AD.

Musically, there are key things to remember. There are grown men who will be jealous you’ve seen Bogshed live. You listened to your first Festive Fifty in 1986, and you’ll get to see most of those bands in 1987. Take photos. Take lots of photos. One day someone will publish a book featuring photos from that time and will use one of yours.

The thing I shouldn’t tell you. Dad has been tricking you for the last (almost) twelve years. You’ll find out about it at Cousin Karen’s wedding which will be well over thirty years later. Well, he hasn’t tricked you as such, you were never told the truth. You were still naughty though.

One final thing. You will be in a nightclub around 1990 and will be dancing to ‘Stand’ by REM. A man will shove into you and you’ll nudge him back. He’ll punch you in the face (and say “oh, it’s a girl”) which will cause your front tooth to crack off and your teeth will never be the same. Please don’t ever dance to REM’s ‘Stand’ even though it’s a great song to dance to. The money you get in compensation doesn’t even cover the dental fees through the years. You’ll thank me for it.

H’s photos at nursery cost £24 per A4 picture. Obviously you cannot go for anything smaller than A4 to get your money’s worth. Last time I bought three different ones – thank goodness they took PayPal.

H’s photos at school cost £10 for loads of eco friendly all sized pictures. £7.50 gets you a frame to put the A4 one in. (Yep, I know Wilko’s is cheaper but I don’t want to head to Sutton before the New Year thanks).